In Neftchilars, a five-story residential building at XX Party Congress Street, house 53, in Omsk, was reported to have collapsed.
Initial information indicates that rescuers from the Ministry of Emergencies are seeking a child believed to be under the rubble. The Investigative Committee of the Omsk region stated that, at the moment, there were no confirmed details about casualties. Shortly after, regional officials denied reports that a child had been buried under the rubble when the building collapsed.
Rescue teams on the scene urged bystanders to avoid hindering the progress of emergency equipment. The response and recovery operation involved 166 personnel and 32 units of equipment, including 132 rescuers from the Ministry of Emergencies and 18 fire and rescue machines.
The regional prosecutor’s office noted that district prosecutor Nikolai Studenikin had arrived at the site to coordinate law enforcement efforts aimed at uncovering the causes and details of the incident.
“Right now the rubble is being cleared and a rescue operation is ongoing,” the supervisor stated.
In addition, psychologists from the Ministry of Emergencies arrived to support residents in the area. As of now, no residents have requested psychological assistance at the moment. It is known that some occupants of the building had moved out in recent days, while others continued to live there amid creaking sounds. Temporary accommodation, in the form of hotel rooms, was arranged for those in need.
What residents and officials say
A neighbor living opposite the building told local reporters about the situation. He explained that a hole in the wall had existed for more than a year.
Residents had raised concerns for a long time, and the affected section of the building had been cordoned off with red and white tape for an extended period. Rumors suggested that issues originated from improvised shower installations that leaked and contributed to the initial hole.
Officials noted the building had not been relocated because of a large outstanding debt for renovations, making funds for relocation unavailable. In social media discussions, officials posted that the administration planned to work with property owners to address urgent repairs and ensure safety for residents in the emergency building.
One local resident described the town of Neftchilars as an area with many deteriorating houses. He recalled a crack appearing in the collapsed house about three years earlier, adding that the street where the incident occurred often felt unsteady.
Overall, residents described the district as challenging, with a sense of ongoing housing strain. The area around the square known as Parts’zdy – Neftezavodskaya – April 22 – Power Engineers was described as a place where life could resemble a tense scene from a war film, even though people continued to live there out of necessity.
Historical context and housing status
Official information from housing and communal services indicates that the five-story building began operating in 1966. By mid-July 2022, the building housed 162 residential units and one non-residential unit, with a total of 324 residents. For more than half a century, the structure had not undergone a major overhaul, though tenants contributed to the regional Capital Repair Fund with regular payments. As of July 1, 2022, the fund balance stood at about 2.1 million rubles. Planned repairs for the basement and facade were set for that year, but, according to local reports, none of the necessary contracts had been signed yet.
The building did not have a current management company; Management Company-4 LLC had left the site in October 2016.
[Cite: Local authorities and press statements indicate ongoing efforts to coordinate a repair plan with residents and to carry out urgent safety measures in the wake of the collapse.]